


Giving Back

by TheTacticianAlchemist



Category: Shaman King (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Mankin Secret Santa 2020, references to past abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:02:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28698858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTacticianAlchemist/pseuds/TheTacticianAlchemist
Summary: Horohoro just wants to start a gardening club at school, but his application is rejected. Pirika decides to help him.[Sorry for the lateness, but Happy Holidays to MageOfMip! I'm your Secret Santa!}
Relationships: Horohoro & Joco & Ren, Horohoro & Pirika
Comments: 5
Kudos: 5





	Giving Back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MageofMip](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MageofMip/gifts).



> I haven't written fic for Shaman King in literal years but let me tell you, I'm back with a passion.

“Dammit,” Horohoro hisses, taking off his headband and running a hand through his spiky hair. He slumps against the wall.

“Nii-san?” Pirika pokes her head out of her room and sees him glaring at the paper in his hand. “Is something wrong?”

Horohoro closes his fist, crumpling it. “The student council says I can’t make a club with only one member. I need three or more.”

“But isn’t Manta on the board?”

“He said he tried, but they can’t bend the rules.” Horohoro scowls. “Dammit.”

Prikika’s cheeks puff up. “I can’t believe that! I wish I were at school with you! I’d join!”

Horohoro scrunches the paper into a ball. “You’re only one person anyway.” He throws the ruined notice into the recycle bin, then sighs. “Thanks, though.”

Pirika hugs him tight. “Then…” Her eyes narrow in determination. _I’ll help you._

()()()

Joco looks up from his book ( _From Gags to Giggles_ ) and raises an eyebrow. “Pirika? Who let you into the high school?”

“Just because I’m in middle school doesn’t mean I’m forbidden,” she snaps, lifting her nose. “Besides, school’s over. I’m not breaking any rules.”

Without any other preamble, she shoves a flyer into his face. Joco backs up, blinking at the hand-painted green butterbur leaves on the page. “Would you please join my brother’s gardening club?”

Joco frowns. “Gardening club? I know he’s a nature nut, but—”

_“That’s rude!”_

“—why me?” Joco asks. “I don’t have a green thumb.” He gives a thumbs-up and a wink. “Wish I had a gold one, though!”

Pirika blinks at him. “Well, it’s not like you’re busy with a comedy club,” she deadpans, and Joco pouts.

“Besides,” she continues. “You’re my big brother’s friend. You should help him.”

“What if I’m busy?”

Pirika rolls her eyes. “You’re not busy.”

“I am, though!” Joco says with a pout. “See this book? I’m studying jokes!”

“You can get some opportunities to practice them in the gardening club,” Pirika says. She bats her eye at him. “Please, Joco?”

He flusters, looking away. “Come on, Pirika….”

She laughs. “All right. I’ll let you think about it… for now.” Her expression makes Joco shiver. Then, without another word, she leaves to find her next victim.

Joco sighs, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair. “Thought she was gonna murder me,” he mutters to himself.

“Oh, I won’t yet.”

Joco jolts up into a sitting position, eyes widening. Pirika’s back, smiling at him with a mask of innocence. “Joco,” she says. “Remember when my brother helped you rescue Mic?”

He shifts in his chair. “Well… Yeah.”

How _can_ he forget? Joco knows he’ll never forget the pitiful mewling of that yellow cat he found stuck under his porch. That summer was hot, humid, and Joco was scared that the poor thing would overheat down there. Grampa Orona’s joints were too achy to help, so Joco had run all the way to Horohoro’s house to ask for help. The two of them managed to wiggle under the porch and rescue the cat, then took him to the vet. Luckily, he was able to recover without a problem.

“You adopted Mic after that, right?” Pirika’s smile and her eyes soften.

“I did.” Joco smiles, too. “He’s the best cat I’ve ever had.” The only cat, but still. Mic’s always with him when he’s home.

Pirika holds out the flyer. “Will you help out my brother this time?”

()()()

Pirika stands with her hands on her hips. “Ren.”

“Please do not address me so casually,” Ren replies, adjusting his uniform tie. He’s the only one who wears the uniform so strictly. “Aren’t I your senior?”

She sticks out her tongue at him. “Ren, I want you to join my brother’s gardening club.” She pushes the flyer into his face.

“Pirika, please,” Ren mutters, moving her hand down. Then, he pauses, narrowing his eyes. “A gardening club? Why?”

“He needs two more people to join for him to get the club recognized by the student council,” Pirika explains. “And since I’m not in high school yet, I decided to help him recruit.”

“And does Horohoro know that you’re doing this?” Ren asks.

“It’s going to be a surprise!” she says, putting her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest. “He’s going to be so happy!”

Ren sighs. “I have no interest in gardening, Pirika.” He examines his nails. “So I—”

“You don’t want to help my brother?”

Ren pauses, looking at her.

Her eyes are watering.

He blinks, panic starting to build within him. “P-Pirika, please,” he says, taking a step toward her. “You can’t—”

“You’re his best friend,” Pirika says. “He’s helped you before. Why won’t you help him out?”

Ren stiffens, biting his lip. He looks away.

He doesn’t want to talk about that time. He never wants to even think about the time he ran barefoot out of his house, Jun’s hand tight around his wrist. Out of their perfect house, down their perfect street, his toes tearing on the cement. Horohoro finding them and taking them to Yoh’s huge, practically empty home to wait things out.

Even after Ren’s father calmed down and his home became _somewhat_ normal, Horohoro was always… there. Laughing, frowning, yelling, arguing, smiling—always there, always loyal. Always a friend.

Ren crosses his arms, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “Give me that flyer.”

Pirika stares at him. “What?”

Ren goes pink, snapping his head up toward her. “I said give me the flyer! I’ll take it!”

“You will?!” Pirika beams, a couple happy tears falling from her eyes as she holds out the flyer. “Thank you, Ren!”

He takes it from her and looks away again. “Just… Whatever. You’re welcome.”

()()()

“Horohoro-san!” Manta calls, waving his arm and jumping a bit so Horohoro will see him through the crowd of high schoolers heading home.

Horohoro stops beside him, tipping his head. “Hey, Manta. What’s up?”

Manta smiles up at him, holding out a form. “Your gardening club has been approved!”

Horohoro stares at him.

“…Uh, Horohoro-san?” Manta laughs nervously, stretching his little arms out a bit more. “Your gardening club. It’s been approved by the student council.”

“But I didn’t reapply for it,” Horohoro says dumbly, taking the form but still staring at Manta. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, I thought you knew? Other members came forward and submitted the paperwork again,” Manta explains. He taps his chin. “They didn’t tell you?”

“Who the hell are you talking about?” A sudden pool of irritation wells within him. _This’d better not be a prank._

“Well—maybe it’ll be easier to show you?” Manta suggests. He turns and motions for Horohoro to follow him. “You’ve been given the school roof to use. Come on, I’ll lead the way.”

Horohoro follows him through the hallways, up the staircases, all the while an incredulous storm brewing within him. He’s too unfocused to even look at the form in his hands properly.

Manta pushes open the door at the top of the stairs, revealing the roof. There are long, flat boards spread about, with nails and hammers nearby, and a pile of bagged mulch, too.

Joco, in the middle of laying out the boards, looks up and waves. “Hey, Horohoro!”

Ren’s taking off his uniform jacket and carefully putting on some working gloves. “You’re late.”

Horohoro stares at them. “What the _hell_?!”

“Is that all you have to say?” Ren retorts, raising an eyebrow.

“Here we are, out of the goodness of our hearts,” Joco says, clutching his chest dramatically. “Helping start up your gardening club, and _that’s_ your reaction?”

Ren points at him. “You _are_ the president, so don’t lose that important document. And know that I won’t be here every day to coddle you.”

“You’re…?” Horohoro looks down at the form and finally reads it.

_Funbari Hill High School Gardening Club_

_President: Usui Horokeu_

_Vice President: Tao Ren_

_Treasurer: Joco McDonnell_

There’s more to it, jargon and dates and all that, but now, Horohoro’s eyes are watering and he can’t read any more. That storm that built within him collapses, and for a moment, he’s breathless. “How’d you know? I didn’t ask you guys.”

“It was me!” There’s a flurry of footsteps, and Pirika bursts through the open doorway and just about jumps him from behind. “I asked them for you!”

Horohoro goes a bit pink. “Pirika! Why would you do that?”

“You’re always helping everyone else! I wanted to help you,” she says, then turns to Manta. “Even if I’m not a club member, can I help them out?”

Manta smiles, shrugging. “If you’d like to, then that’s fine.”

More footsteps sound from the doorway, and Yoh and Lyserg peek out. “Hey, guys,” Yoh says with ease, hands in his pockets and his uniform shirt open wide. “Mind if we help out today?”

“I heard you were building the planters,” Lyserg says. “I can help you place them so they get the most sunlight and rainwater!”

Horohoro’s watery eyes trickle out a couple happy tears, and he wipes his face with his jacket and beams. “Sure! You guys are welcome anytime.” He sheds his backpack, unceremoniously stuffing the paper inside (and earning a sigh from Ren). “Let’s get to work!”

Yoh chuckles as he comes forward. “What’s the first crop?”

“Butterbur!”

Ren and Joco look at each other, exasperated. But then, Ren gives the smallest of smiles, and Joco grins.

“Hey, that can’t happen until these are built,” Joco says, patting the wooden board in front of him.

“Yes. Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Ren says, picking up a few nails and a hammer.

“Put those down,” Horohoro snaps as he goes to Joco’s side, pointing at Ren. “I don’t trust you with those.”

Ren shrugs. “I’d rather not do the manual labor anyway,” he says, then smirks. “But I’ll hold onto these as insurance for the time being.”

“Insurance?!”

“Assurance!” Joco says, slapping Horohoro on the back and leaning into him.

“What the hell are you talking about, Joco?” Horohoro asks, exasperated, and Pirika laughs.

But really, Horohoro’s laughing, too.


End file.
